Earthquake Country — Los Angeles

With Dr. Pat Abbott, Professor of Geology, San Diego State University

These videos are available in higher resolution formats and for broadcast. Use the "Contact us" form to make a request.

Through live-action demonstrations
and vivid animations, Dr. Pat Abbott explains how earthquakes have shaped
the scenery and the character of the greater Los Angeles area.
Dr. Abbott shows how faults capable of large earthquakes
lie beneath most of the area, posing great risk to the millions of
people living in earthquake country. Animations illustrate how
and why earthquakes happen, how mountains and valleys have
formed as a result, how the ground will shake in large earthquakes,
and why this shaking is so destructive to buildings. Dr. Abbott also
shows how to evaluate your home for earthquake safety and
explains how to reduce the devastating effects of earthquakes.
This video is part of Dr. Abbott's "Written in Stone" series.